Metro asks court to dismiss hotel challenges

Metro filed a motion in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Wednesday to consolidate and dismiss the legal challenges to its proposed headquarters Hotel project.

The elected regional government is proposing to help finance the $200 million construction of a 600 room hotel near the Oregon Convention Center, which it owns and operates. Some existing Portland area hotel owners have attempted to block the project with a lawsuit in the Clackamas County Circuit Court.

Metro had previously filed a motion in the Multnomah County Court under an Oregon law that allows local governments to consolidate and review challenges to projects in a single court. Metro's new motions seeks a summary judgment to dismiss the dismiss the challenges.

Metro President Tom Hughes released the following statement about the filing:

"The Oregon Convention Center hotel will bring thousands of new jobs to our region and strengthen our states economy.

"A small but well-funded group of opponents has fought relentlessly to obstruct and delay this project, despite the unique partnership we have developed with private sector partners to infuse hundreds of millions of dollars into our local economy and revitalize the citys east side.

"Last April, Metro took action to put a stop to these costly lawsuits and delay tactics by requesting the court to validate the actions weve taken to date. We remain committed in our convictions that Metros Charter, code and state law provides Metro the broad legal authority to pursue the Oregon Convention Center hotel. We look forward to a swift resolution of this lawsuit."

A copy of the motion can be found at http://www.oregonmetro.gov/public-projects/oregon-convention-center-hotel